In
the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored
one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at what was
said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said
to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him
Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." But Mary
said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who
was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God." Mary said,
"Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to
your word." Then the angel departed from her.

There
is pride mixed with cowardice in the saying, "It is better to beg for
forgiveness than to ask for permission." Fearful of rejection, but
unwilling to allow a legitimate authority to evaluate the merits of a plan, the
person acting on the premise is eager to launch a personal agenda, but quickly
retreats in the face of authoritative resistance or objection. We often
observe that such a person has a "problem with authority."

And
underlying that problem with authority may simply be selfishness or laziness. A
pathologically selfish person does not have the patience to be told what to do
and quickly reacts with anger or cold non-responsiveness. He is too
occupied with his own pursuits to be bothered with the requirements of serving
the common good under the authoritative care of parents or employers or rulers.
Sometimes sloth, like the sloth of the son in the parable who promised his
father to work in the vineyard but did not, demonstrates a true disrespect for
authority. This is why employers everywhere cherish the relatively rare
employee who consistently carries through with his promise of work.

At
times, however, the problem really lies with those in authority who misuse or
overreach the bounds of their authority. Rulers like Pontius Pilate fail
to grasp that their authority "came from above." (Jn 19:11) In these
situations, the one who has a "problem with authority" is, in fact, the person
in authority. An unjust exercise of authority builds resentment on the
part of those who are the victims of the unjust decrees. History
demonstrates that abuse of authority - real or apparent - can quickly become the
basis of bitter reaction and revolution. History also demonstrates that
those holding legitimate authority have a grave responsibility to exercise it
with justice and prudence or risk wasting the goodwill and respect that comes
wit their exalted positions.

The
Old Testament reveals the legitimacy of God's authority over man.
Throughout the Old Testament, man repeatedly fails. But God in His
everlasting mercy repeatedly renews His covenant with man as His people await a
definitive redeemer. God did not have an obligation to demonstrate or
"earn" the majesty of His authority. But He did so because we are slow to
understand. In His love for us, He is patient.

Yet
many of us continue to have a problem with His authority.

When
the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, husband of Mary's cousin Elizabeth, the
old man has serious difficulties with the authoritative message. Advised
that Elizabeth would bear a son in her old age, Zechariah responds with
skepticism: "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is
advanced in years." Zechariah dares to resist the highest of authorities.
As a result of his rejection of the good news, he is silenced "and unable to
speak until the day these things come to pass," until his son, John the Baptist,
is born into the world.

In
this week's Gospel God sends the same angel Gabriel to Nazareth, to a virgin
betrothed to Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name is Mary.
He greets her with, 'Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.'" The
angel then reveals, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him
Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the
Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the
house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

At
first glace, Mary's response seems to be similar to that of Zechariah. She
asks Gabriel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" The
linguistic difference may be subtle; but a great chasm separates Mary's attitude
from Zechariah's. Zechariah is skeptical. Mary is merely confused.
Zechariah demands to be satisfied by a further explanation from the angel's
explanation. He knows his wife is too old to bear a son. How could
Gabriel provide sufficient evidence to the contrary?

Mary,
on the other hand, asks the question in faith. The Virgin knows the love
of God and trusts Him to help her dispel her confusion. Regardless of the
explanation, Mary is receptive to the authoritative reply. The proof is
her most sublime fiat or "yes" to God: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word." The reward is immediate: And
the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!

Mary's
flawless faith seeking understanding is a model for all of us. God expects
honest questions in times of confusion, provided the questions do not reveal any
true "problem with authority" rooted in skepticism, selfishness or pride.
But there is no foul in entering into a truly faithful and robust prayerful
dialog, provided there is the spirit of respect and obedience. (Mary's
example of respectful and obedient questioning may even be fruitful in our
families and workplaces.)

With
an all-merciful God, we can always beg for forgiveness. But, it is better
to ask, with the humility of Mary, for guidance from an all-loving Authority.